Although acupuncture is a well known way of reducing stress, the exact mechanism by which the process takes place was not known. However, latest study conducted on rats has lead researchers to identify the exact protein that is suppressed by acupuncture technique. The research has been undertaken by Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC). Acupuncture is a very old method of treatment devised by the Chinese and involves pricking the body with very thin needles at precise locations to bring about the cure for several diseases. It is a treatment that is very effective against stress.
The study is aimed at proving the benefits of acupressure. The experiments conducted on mice have lead to interesting revelations. The study is a path breaker because this is the first of its kind to explain acupressure at a molecular level. The lead author of the study is Ladan Eshkevari, who is an assistant professor at Georgetown’s School of Nursing and Health Studies, a certified acupuncturist and a nurse anesthetist. According to him, if the results obtained from studies on mice can be employed on humans as well, it will be proven that acupressure is a very effective and now proven way of dealing with high stress levels, which are rampant in today’s world.
Eshkevari says that she has used acupuncture to treat people who reported excess stress and the results have been very positive. She further says that the technique is capable of providing relief from over fifty health problems. It can be used as a palliative cure method. Although this fact has been recognized by the world health organization, there has been no experimental proof as to how stress is reduced.
The researcher studies how acupuncture affects neuropeptide Y blood levels. Neuropeptide Y, NPY for short, is released by the sympathetic nervous system. When a person is very stressed out, the impact on internal organs is higher. So, this nervous system concentrates blood flow to the vital organs so that they keep functioning optimally.
Eshkevari used electroacupuncture therapy on the mice. This is a method in which a small electric shock is sent through the body for intense pain relief. Effects of acupressure was tested on a spot called Zuslani, which is a pressure point related to treating stress. The mice were divided into four groups. One group was not stressed. Second group was stressed but was not administered acupressure. Third group was administered acupressure at a random spot and the fourth group, which was also the experimental group, was administered acupuncture at Zulsani. In the 14 day experiment, is was noticed that NYP levels in the experimental group was very low, which showed that stress is low as well.